


Face Your Fears

by evacotive



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Childhood Friends, Developing Friendships, Expanded Universe, F/M, Friendship/Love, Humor, Minor Character(s), POV Nishinoya Yuu, POV Original Character, Slow Burn, Sports, Volleyball, Volleyball Dorks & Nerds
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-09
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-15 10:48:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29932287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/evacotive/pseuds/evacotive
Summary: Nishinoya Yuu has conquered many fears growing up. Nothing scared him anymore, well- except maybe his childhood friend Shimura Haru, aka the new transfer student. As for Haru? She was only scared of one thing: volleyball. Nishinoya/OC.
Relationships: Nishinoya - Relationship, Nishinoya Yuu/Original Female Character(s)





	Face Your Fears

Larger than life, she jumped. Her arm swung like an upside down pendulum with her back arched in enviable, perfect form. Shimura Haru calculated as the wing spiker wearing a white jersey, emblazoned with a bold number one, slammed her palm onto the volleyball. The trajectory of the ball stole past her teammate's fingers and Haru positioned herself right where she knew it would land in center court.

_Foooosh-!_

If air was visible, the spectators would have seen the breath knocked out of Haru's lungs as she dug her feet against the court. Her hands clasped together. She crouched between her bent knees to cushion the weight of the ball's impact against her forearms in a flawless receive - and _yet_.

Haru could feel it happening again. The center of her weight shifted to her heels. The ball soared high and the light of the stadium ceiling blinded her as Haru squinted, yet still her eyes followed the shadow of the ball as it crept closer to the net.

"Chance ball!" She heard the opposing team cry.

Haru braced herself for the floor. Her back hit the ground for the fourth time this set.

Knocked off her feet again. Haru grit her teeth.

_Get up. Get up. Get up!_

She slammed her arms onto the ground harder than she meant to in a mix of frustration and an attempt to launch herself up from the momentum.

The opposing team's setter tossed the ball, far right. Their left.

"Slam it, Akira!"

Again, their number one swung her arm and hit the ball at the apex of her jump.

Straight? No, Haru could see it. It was going back left. A cross-court shot.

"It's mine!" She shouted.

Haru knew could get it. She had to get it. She twisted around and launched herself across, feeling herself brush past a teammate to reach for the ball. She felt her knees cave too soon- too many flying receives- but still her fingers stretched out. Nonetheless, Haru watched as the ball fell just centimeters from her outstretched fingers and barely land inside the sideline of the court. The ball bounced in front of her eyes and rolled away. Haru's chest huffed in and out against the laminate floor as it rolled further and further away from her.

"…Shimura-"

"-aru-chan…"

"…Haru-"

Haru slammed her fist on the ground.

_"Haru!"_

She jolted and looked up at her teammates. They helped her to her feet.

"Are you all right?"

"Didn't you hear us? Haru?"

She shook her head. No, the truth was, Haru didn't hear them at all. She didn't hear their calls, or their cheers, or their frustrations. All she heard was the sound of her own ragged breathing and the opposing team's shouts for their ace to spike the ball. Right now, all she could hear was their victorious cheers.

The whistle blew. Her team called for a late time out.

Haru wiped the sweat from her face with a towel. She watched one of the scorekeepers flip the scoreboard for the opposing team: 27-28. They were leading at match point. It was the last set in their favor.

Her coach handed her a water bottle, but she didn't let go when Haru grabbed for it. Her gaze was intent. "Kid, it was like you were playing alone out there."

Haru looked away. "I was just focused on the ball," she muttered. The coach released the bottle and Haru took careful sips of water from it.

"Haru, we'll get the next one." Someone said.

Another teammate hit her on the back, making her spill some water on herself. "Chin up, and pay the hell attention."

"I am." Haru said, coughing.

Her teammate scoffed. "As if. You almost bulldozed me going after that last ball."

The whistle blew, signaling break was over.

The coach spoke quickly. "Blockers, you know what you have to do. You need to step it up. It's a tight lead in their favor, but I know you all can do it. All of you, do what you do best and just connect."

"Got it!" They shouted. The six of them stepped back onto the court, but just before Haru could, the coach grabbed her arm to gain her attention.

"And Haru," she said, pausing to make sure Haru was looking at her, "You _need_ to slow down." Then she let her go.

Haru frowned, wiping her wet chin with her arm. She nodded sharply to let her coach know she heard.

The opposing team's setter was serving this time. The short pip of the whistle sounded and Haru leaned forward, placing her weight on her toes.

The setter tossed the ball up and launched a mean serve over the net. However, Haru quickly stepped into a low receive, one knee on the ground. Perfection. The ball hit her platform and rebounded towards their own setter, who tossed a quick to the left. Haru's watchful eyes followed the ball as it arched high for their ace player. An impeccable set.

Their ace smashed her palm against the ball and for a moment, it looked like it would sail straight down onto the opposing court unchecked. However two blockers swiftly stepped forward and jumped with their arms raised impossibly high and timed to match their ace's downward swing. The ball ricocheted off the opposing team's wall of blockers.

Then the ball was falling.

Time and space seemed to crawl to a snail's pace.

Her coach's words echoed in her head. _Slow down._

The sound of Haru's shoes slamming against the court resounded in the quiet stadium. Outside this court, she was sure the crowd must have been loud. Their schools must have been cheering raucously. Vendors must have been shouting and bargaining. Other games right next to them must have been just as intense as theirs. But Haru wasn't paying attention to any of that.

Her eyes were focused only on the ball.

Haru clenched her jaw and she launched herself into a dive for another flying receive.

Her arms stretched out for it. She could make it. She could get the ball.

So why would the coach tell her to slow down? Their team didn't have the luxury of slowing down. More importantly, Haru didn't _want_ to slow down.

It was the one rule every libero abided by with pride.

Her fingers grazed the ball, and Haru smiled.

_Because the one who drops the ball first, loses._

**Author's Note:**

> Published on FF.net as well.   
> Help! I'm several leagues deep in this fandom and I'm obsessed!   
> Tell me who your favorite characters are and why! I'd love to see how I can work them into the fic. XD


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